{open party post | who is the tall, dark stranger there?}

[tubemods]

The sun rises on another day in Devil's Creek, painting the night sky a burnt orange and the edges of clouds a pale yellow. Although not a large town by any stretch of the imagination, the early morning hours are the most quiet it will ever see. The night's chill still holds close to the dirt, keeping people inside, tucked away in their beds.

A perfect time for a return.

Three horses, three riders with one less rider than they left with come into town at quiet trots. Anyone awake this hour and foolish enough to look outside their window may recognize the silhouettes, but most are smart enough to leave it be. The riders don't linger long, going their separate ways in town. A long, low howl of wind whipping through the distant gorge signals the night's work is done.

In a few hours, the sleepy town awakens. It's a busy day today. Although the general goods store is always there and always open for business, shipments and other businesses from the city have arrived today for some trade and everyone could use a few supplies they won't get for another couple of months. By the time everyone has set up their carriages and stalls, the sun has climbed into the sky, warming the city's dusty town square as well as its streets and alleys.

There also seems to be the arrival of some more new faces this morning and to these outsiders, there seems to be something that's going without saying among the natives. It's the same thing they've thought of the other newcomers to their little town over the past couple of days.

Old Nibbles might just have a feast in its near future.

Comments

[majesdean]

Somehow a dog makes approaching the strange man with it more socially acceptable, and it's just as well because Karolina makes a beeline for Kubrick the moment she's released from the home for the afternoon and sees them on the main street. Come here, puppy. She needs to meet you before curfew and there's sinister intentions in the air around the church that she really wants to ignore.

"Oh wow, he's really cute."

[ineveraskedforthis]

Kubrick is always friendly to people, but he'll pay extra attention to anyone who pays him any first. He veers from the path he's leading Adam on over to Karolina with his tail wagging enthusiastically behind him. Although he bounces a few times, he doesn't jump up.

Adam stops a little ways behind while Kubrick hams it up.

"Thanks. He knows, unfortunately."

[majesdean]

The hamming works; Karolina kneels in a flurry of skirts and promptly sets about making a friend.

"Sister Anne won't let us have a dog-- Does he have a name?"

Hey, it's a more sensible question than 'what's his name' in a town where at least five of the dogs are called Dog.

[ineveraskedforthis]

Adam sniffs at the remark about Sister Anne. With as tightly run as this town is rumored to be, he wouldn't supposed the sister would allow any animals.

"Yeah, it's Kubrick."

Kubrick sits now that Karolina is closer to his level. He leans into her face, pressing his cold wet nose onto her before he greets her with enthusiastic kisses.

"Not that he always remembers it."

Kubrick is definitely a dog with a mind of his own sometimes.